Mark looked at Shirley. Although reluctant to leave, he nodded. He kept looking back at his grandparents and the operating rooms as he walked with Antonio to the elevator.
The surgeries were still ongoing. Richie and Shirley were waiting in the hallway, pacing back and forth anxiously. Antonio came back to the hallway once Mark had fallen asleep. When he saw Antonio, Richie turned around and walked to the elevator and Antonio followed silently.
It was late summer and the wind was a little cold already. Richie stood on the hospital terrace, his hair stirring in the light breeze.
"Young Master, the situation has taken a complicated turn," Antonio reported.
"The members of the State Parliament are still stirring things up," came Richie's voice, as cold as icicles. "They don't care about the development and safety of their country. They are nothing but a bunch of petty, cunning weasels who would do anything to stay in power and to get more of it."
"About Mr. Brian Long's accident..." Antonio said hesitantly.
"They are going to pay." Richie's tone was ruthless.
Antonio stared at Richie's back in surprise. He hadn't heard Richie speak in that terrifying tone ever since he had left Dragon Island with Shirley and had taken over the XK Intelligence Agency. It had been many years. He gulped. "It's uncertain whether the State Parliament had a hand in today's accident. If it did, will it affect Dragon Island?" Antonio asked.
"The State Parliament was definitely a part of today's accident. Brian has been carrying out his plan perfectly. However, this whole thing with the State Parliament needs to be settled soon. This is a ticking bomb, which needs to be neutralized at any cost," Richie said.
"Yes, Mr. Long," Antonio answered with a nod.
Looking up at the starry sky, Richie went on, "The re-election is about to begin."
This time Antonio didn't respond, but looked at Richie silently. He knew what he meant. Dragon Island was at a crucial geographical location, so members of the State Parliament had been prudent in the past. But this time, they had gone too far. And Richie was furious.
"Find out who else is involved in his accident."
"No need. They have been eliminated,"
an arrogant voice said casually from behind them. Richie and Antonio turned back swiftly. Hanson was leaning against the door, half smiling.
"Mr. Gu," Antonio greeted.
Hanson walked towards them and said to Richie with a smile, "Nice to see you again, Uncle Richie."
"Did Brian ask you to come back to the city?" Richie asked, his eyes dimming slightly.
Hanson shrugged and replied with a nod, "Yes. He figured out that someone was watching his men. So he wanted me to come back and track down whoever it was." He was impressed by Brian's instinct and his clever tactics. He had taken everything into account, even though many things had been obscure under those circumstances. Brian would be a menacing threat to anyone as long as he didn't have a weakness to be taken advantage of.
"I know," Hanson nodded in agreement. The issues here mainly concerned the political parties. It would harm his master if he engaged in it. "I should go, Uncle Richie," he said.
Richie nodded. After Hanson had left, Richie went back to the hallway to sit beside Shirley.
The surgeries were not over yet. The bruises were not as serious as they looked, but Brian and Molly had lost too much blood. A little while later, Molly was pushed out of the operating room in a stretcher. But Brian was still not out of danger. His worst injuries were not caused by Fly, but by the car accident. Luckily, he had been brought to the hospital in time. And thanks to the outstanding doctors and the facilities in the Empire Hospital, after sixteen arduous hours, his condition finally stabilized.
Bright rays of the afternoon sun pierced through the clouds and reached the earth. But inside the hospital, everything was dark and gloomy.
The doctors and nurses had been extremely busy for two days in a row, and each and every one of them had a grave and haggard look on their faces. They had worked non-stop on the important patients who had come up in the hospital one after the other.
Spark had come around from the coma. The sinews of his left hand had been damaged so severely that he wouldn't be able to exert much strength with his left hand even after the sinews were connected. What was more, the nerves controlling the fingers had become insensitive, which meant that violin would not be a part of his life anymore.
As a tough man who had gone through heavy gunfire, Vincent survived his wounds.
Wing was out of danger too, thanks to the timely blood transfusion. But the excessive loss of blood had caused an abnormal heart rate. After another diagnosis, the doctors concluded that the loss of blood had led to brain hypoxia and as a result, Wing had been subjected to a vegetative state.
The news hit Weston like thunder. Unexpectedly, Shirley, whose son and daughter were both in a coma, had become stronger than anyone else. She and Richie decided to send their daughter abroad for further treatment. She believed that Wing would beat all odds and wake up soon.
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